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Thursday, 13 July 2017

Skincare routine - July 2017

It's been a hot minute since I updated my skincare routine and in the last few weeks I've made some massive changes to the way I take care of my face. I'm liking the results so far, so wanted to share a really quick idea of my current routine with you!

My last skincare post was way back in March '16 which you can read [here] for some skincare product ideas!

I am constantly switching up my skincare products because I am very guilty of being impatient with them - I want results instantly! Which, of course, never really happens.

In the last couple of weeks I have changed my routine quite a lot in the sense of cutting it right down. I have combination skin that leans more towards oily; it's pretty dull, not extremely spot-prone but I constantly have red marks that look like spots all over my face. For these reasons I am extremely uncomfortable when I'm bare-faced.

Because my skin is oily and I don't want to constantly look like my face has been over the chip pan, I'm pretty guilty of using harsh products and products that strip excessive amounts of oil off my face. It's easy to think that if you create an entire skincare routine with products that are designed to help mattify oily skin, then it will solve the problem. Wrong.

Someone said to me recently that just because you have oily skin doesn't mean you should avoid oil-based products - which sounded a bit crazy to me. She told me that using oil-based products actually allows your skin to think it has produced enough oil and so doesn't produce any more. That kind of has some logic, right? I'm no dermatologist but of course stripping oils from your face would automatically make your skin produce more oil to replace what was lost. I guess skin is kind of like hair, with good oils and bad oils.

Anyway, with this in mind I decided to put down the thousands of tea tree and seaweed face products I own and try to just simplify my entire routine.

I take my makeup off with a regular makeup wipe if I'm lazy, but I do try to just use a flannel and some water to wash my face gently.

I then use a tiny bit of witch hazel on a cotton pad and sweep it over my face. This stuff can be pretty harsh and it is an astringent, so be wary of it. I know a lot of beauty enthusiasts swear by it, but a lot have nothing but bad things to say! For me it makes my face feel fresh as it removes any makeup residue that I didn't catch whilst washing my face.

If it's night time, I follow this with 3 tiny drops of The Body Shop Vitamin E Overnight Serum-in-Oil - one on each cheek and one on my forehead. I massage it in with the tips of my fingers and let it soak in. It doesn't actually feel as greasy as you think it will! This product in particular has really made my face feel soft and smooth.

If it's day time, I simply wash my face in the morning, skip the witch hazel and follow straight with a moisturiser.

I've also tried to cut down how often I use face masks as I feel like my skin is too sensitive to handle it. If I use a face mask at all it's usually The Body Shop Seaweed Clay Mask - great for oily skin, but doesn't feel like my face is tight or dry afterwards.

I'm not sure what it is about this that seems to have improved my skin so much, but for the last five days or so I have actually left the house with just a tiny bit of concealer on as opposed to a full face of foundation - which, if you know me at all, is actually a massive step forward!